Alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been associated with worse cognitive abilities in older adults and premature epigenetic aging in young adulthood. However, it is not clear how mitochondrial dysfunction affects brain function in young adulthood and whether cognition-related networks might be most affected. We tested whether mtDNA functional impact (FI) score might map onto specific patterns of between-network functional connectivity in young adults from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC). We also tested whether these relationships might be mediated by accelerated epigenetic aging, calculated using Horvath's epigenetic clock, CheekAge clock, and AltumAge clock. General connectivity method was used as a reliable marker of individual differences in brain function. We showed that a greater mtDNA FI score was associated with lower connectivity between the dorsal attention and language networks (beta = -0.41, p = 0.0007, AdjR2 = 0.15) and that there was suggestive evidence that this relationship might be mediated by accelerated epigenetic aging calculated using Horvath's epigenetic clock in young adulthood (ab = -0.061, SE = 0.04, 95% CI [-0.163; 0.001], 90% CI [-0.142; -0.002]). These findings were independent of sex, current BMI, and current substance use. Overall, we conclude that individuals with a greater mtDNA FI score might be at greater risk of experiencing worse attention to relevant linguistic inputs, greater difficulties with speech comprehension, and verbal working memory.

1st Department of Neurology St Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Brain and Mind Research Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Toronto ON Canada

Department of Psychiatry University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada

Department of Psychiatry University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada

RECETOX Faculty of Science MU Brno Czech Republic

Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Toronto ON Canada

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